Be Prepared For Unprepared People

The unprepared. They are the vast majority. While the word “unprepared” is enormously generic, in the context of ‘survival and preparedness’ the prepared should consider being prepared for the unprepared… Kind of a tongue-twister.

The unprepared are prepared only in so much as the functionality of the systems of infrastructure, and these systems deliver on a fine-tuned schedule of ‘just-in-time’.

The unprepared do not realize the bigger picture of that statement and have settled in to a lifestyle which presumes never-ending supply.

To raise the stakes (risks) even higher, this infrastructure has contributed to the enormous population growth during the past 100 years – which in turn places more burden upon these same systems of infrastructure.

Will there be a breaking point? Of course. There always is a breaking point.

What might cause a break? Lots of things could cause it to break.

With that said, and without going down the rabbit-hole of how or why, let’s consider the things we can do to be prepared for the unprepared – when indeed it does break…

How To Prepare For The Unprepared

Where to begin??

Well, it all starts with the hypothetical scenarios by which you prepare. As in all of preparedness, one never knows to what extent it may fall, or ‘what’ it is exactly – that may fall. Logically, the lesser the fall the fewer the bruises. So perhaps you begin with the simple and work your way through to the complicated…

So you need to consider ‘what’ it is that the unprepared will be looking for when the modern-day infrastructure no longer supplies enough of it (or any of it). What is ‘it’??

At first, the “it’s” will simply be the modern luxuries that may be ‘down’. Inconveniences. This won’t be much of a threat to you. It will just irritate ‘them’. (So watch out for angry people.)

As the fall deepens, the “it’s” will turn into necessities, and this is when things get dicey. I mean really dicey… I’m talking about hungry people. Remarkably, it is widely reported that most of the unprepared do not have much more than 3 days of food for everyone in the household (I still marvel at this).

Even if supply-chain infrastructure is only partially disrupted, the run on food and/or the lack of their normal consumption products will create an angry population – a population that has largely become spoiled and softened, with the expectation that .gov will ‘deliver the goods’ during a time of crisis. They may deliver some of the goods for a small crisis, but if our hypothetical is larger than that – then watch out… these same people will have the same expectations, and when their needs are not met, well, a variety of things may happen…

Many of the unprepared will not know what to do and will have little or no clue as to how and adapt to their new normal. Many will whither in place.

But others will start knocking on doors. What will you do when they knock on your door? That is the initial question. The answer will depend on you and the hypothetical situation itself. I’m not going to tell you what to do, but I hope to provoke related thoughts and questions.

For example if the situation looks like it will remedy within days or weeks, will you help those who knock on your door? I would speculate that most would if they could – depending on who’s at the door.

However if you’re facing a hypothetical breakdown that is much more severe with the likelihood of lasting a very long time (life-altering), then I would speculate that many of the prepared will instead ‘hunker down’ and will be much less likely to part with their preps to the unprepared.

Okay let’s get down to it…

The best way for the prepared to be prepared for the unprepared is to become the gray man.

While any short-term hypothetical does not present much, or any problem for the prepared in this regard, it is the more serious downfall that will become much more complicated and potentially very dangerous and/or deadly.

While realizing that you cannot save the world, your inner instinct will slam into survival mode. Hard choices and decisions will be forced upon you and they just might make the difference between survival or not…

The ‘gray man’ is a concept of not being noticed. Blending in. Not standing out. Avoidance.

This is why the concept of OPSEC (operational security) is so very important. Sadly, in today’s world, having a deep pantry of food storage is looked upon as odd (and others will distinctly remember it). These same people will most certainly and absolutely remember it if and when the time comes…

With that said, it’s best to keep your mouth shut (unless you need a few select others to help with your overall situation or group).

While you (the prepared) are adapting your way through life after the collapse (or fill in the blank______), the absolutely most important aspect for preparing for the unprepared is that of security (there is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that this will be paramount in today’s world). The bleeding hearts may disagree to their heart’s content, but I can tell you with certainty that in the hypothetical circumstance of a deep fall, your life will be in grave danger from the unprepared (some of them), and potentially even from some of ‘the prepared’.

Your personal and homestead security will vary widely depending on where you live and what type of people are around you. I’ll suspect that security may be minimal for some while absolutely crucial for others. With that said, I believe this requires some serious thought.

That’s a tough question. I think every person that comes to our door will have to be handled differently. For instance, an unknown person coming to the door alone could be scoping out for a larger gang, or they could truly be alone. However, not knowing we would play it safe.

When things really start getting hairy, we will collect a small amount of foraged wilds daily. Then when someone comes to the door, we will tell them we don’t have much but we will offer them some of our freshly collected edibles telling them that we have been fortunate with the ability to find all that we need daily with what grows around us. Hopefully they will think this is all we have and not worth the bother of raiding.

Some neighbors around us, (those that are truly in need) we will help as best as we can. Other neighbors will be a case by case decision. If food is handed out, it will likely be the worst tasting stuff we have, and claim it is the best and how much we love it. Hopefully they won’t want to come back after tasting our fare. Close family we will help as best as we can also, to a point. I don’t think I can sit by and watch the grand-kids die of starvation and will likely go hungry myself before I let that happen, but all others I won’t be as generous.

Hey Anon, mistakes made in prepping by ordering from unheard of companies many years ago. We had ordered from many different companies which are no longer in business. We learned our lesson and only order from a few companies now, like Augason Farms, Mountain House, and Emergency Essentials. Every so often we would open a can of something and try it. Some of it can be eaten with lots of ketchup, others are totally unpalatable. So I don’t know what to tell you.

That’s what I do now. If there’s anything I find questionable about ME eating (usually because it’s pretty old) I set aside in a special cabinet that is openly obvious to see, in the kitchen where you’d expect it to be. That is the stuff I’ll give out if it becomes necessary. The good stuff is hidden away where it won’t be easily seen, like the bedroom closet or the basement.

DaisyK03/01/2016 7:32 AM

Be careful about handing out anything that looks like long term storage, even if it tastes bad. That will prove you HAVE long term storage and next time they will demand a different brand.

If I hand anything out it will be things that spoil and I will explain that my power is out and this meat or whatever will spoil if someone doesn’t eat it. Then I will complain that my power is out and within days I will have nothing to eat as everything will be spoiled.

The key is not to let them into your neighborhood to begin with. Our neighborhood will be closed off at the first sign. We will have a checkpoint at the entrance to the road with foodstuffs to give away as needed. We will do what we can until it starts affecting the neighborhood (dead end with 8 homes, approx 30 people)

Why would anyone answer their door anyway, especially after things get dicey. They would push their way in, even kill the occupants and take what they could. Another common sense thing is not to blab all over town that you have stored food, etc. only a fool would trust others in a melt down situation, unless they are like minded and on the same page. People with kids are responsible to prepare for their own.

Since Iām Buddhist; yet a slight well-read religious person, can you explain exactly how that worksā¦ ?

āChrist is my shield, my rock, and my protector, even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.ā And yet you will use your āGlock 19ās and ARās to stop themā and āI place my Salvation into the Hands of Jesusā How does that work?

Now seriously, if youāre expecting Christ to be your savior and be welcomed into Heaven or wherever, does not killing others that are in need kinda counteract that sort of thing?

āDo unto others as you would have them do unto youā. Your words and yet you advocate using a Glock and AR to dispense your justice?…. Hummm, OK.

I don’t know about Ghost, but if someone tries to kill me or innocent people, I would commit a lawful justifiable act called self defense. I will not commit “Murder”, an unlawful slaying of a person.

Also it is written, Exodus 22:2, “If the thief is caught while breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account.”

laura m.03/01/2016 2:37 PM

Stardust: agree totally!

sandshreder02/29/2016 7:46 PM

Even Jesus told his disciples to take a sword with them once. Once he told them not to. I think Jesus advocates self preservation.

That’s it!

Hildegard03/01/2016 3:10 AM

God and Jesus gave us the ability to invent the Glock and AR 15. Self defense is not a sin against God. Christians are expected to look after themselves and their families first.

Once you start handing out supplies, you can never stop. Word will spread quickly. One can never know how long a crisis might last. At the very least, once you have given away supplies, they are gone.

Noah was a Prepper02/29/2016 2:38 PM

Everyone should start their “preps” by preparing spiritually. We are on borrowed time.

Many Christians in this country believe we will not go through any tribulations and therefore, do not prepare at all. While the rapture will remove the Bride of Christ before the 7 year tribulation, we will go through things before that. Hopefully you are not expecting God to supernaturally provide for you. He forewarns first. Examples of two men wise enough to listen; Lot before the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah and Noah so he could prepare for the flood.

I have read on a “Christian’s blog” about the issue of “prepping”.
They discussed that maybe it was not “Christian” to prep, as that indicated a lack of trust in “God providing”.

I was a bit shocked, as I always had the idea that “God helps those who help themselves”. (Now, I have to say, I do not have a lot of experience reading the bible etc…, and no one would mistake me for someone knowledgeable, but..).

I also seem to recall my grade school teacher reading us passages from the bible, which I thought I recalled that a Christian was expected to basically care for one’s assets/ resources and do their best to multiply said resources. (paraphrasing of course, it was long ago). ???

@Seriously, There are several places in the Bible that encourage preparing. It’s a shame some people think that it’s “not Christian” to prepare. It’s actually just the opposite.

Anyway, here’s a cute story somewhat related to this subject.
God Will Save Me

A terrible storm came into a town and local officials sent out an emergency warning that the riverbanks would soon overflow and flood the nearby homes. They ordered everyone in the town to evacuate immediately.

A faithful Christian man heard the warning and decided to stay, saying to himself, āI will trust God and if I am in danger, then God will send a divine miracle to save me.ā

The neighbors came by his house and said to him, āWeāre leaving and there is room for you in our car, please come with us!ā But the man declined. āI have faith that God will save me.ā

As the man stood on his porch watching the water rise up the steps, a man in a canoe paddled by and called to him, āHurry and come into my canoe, the waters are rising quickly!ā But the man again said, āNo thanks, God will save me.ā

The floodwaters rose higher pouring water into his living room and the man had to retreat to the second floor. A police motorboat came by and saw him at the window. āWe will come up and rescue you!ā they shouted. But the man refused, waving them off saying, āUse your time to save someone else! I have faith that God will save me!ā

The flood waters rose higher and higher and the man had to climb up to his rooftop.

A helicopter spotted him and dropped a rope ladder. A rescue officer came down the ladder and pleaded with the man, “Grab my hand and I will pull you up!” But the man STILL refused, folding his arms tightly to his body. āNo thank you! God will save me!ā

Shortly after, the house broke up and the floodwaters swept the man away and he drowned.

When in Heaven, the man stood before God and asked, āI put all of my faith in You. Why didnāt You come and save me?ā

And God said, āSon, I sent you a warning. I sent you a car. I sent you a canoe. I sent you a motorboat. I sent you a helicopter. What more were you looking for?ā

I too have heard/read that one…Makes a lot of sense to me. Only thing better, would be if he had used the commonsense God gave him to prepare himself by some means..ah well.

Thank you for the “confirmation”. I was sure I recalled from my early school yrs, many bible readings on the import of “being prepared” and using the gifts one had to improve one’s situation/preparedness in the world. (I went to public schools always, but somehow ended up with several teachers through the yrs who read frequently to us from the bible. ).. As well, as a child I often went to Sunday school. I was rather shocked to read on this blog that it was suggested that a “real” Christian would not prepare, etc.., as I had always thought the bible taught the opposite.

Thank you.

Stardust02/29/2016 5:13 PM

Nowhere in Bible does it say God helps those who helps themselves, but it does say “love thy neighbor as thyself”.

Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers interpreted a dream of the Pharaoh of Egypt that was forewarned to stock up for 7 years of plenty for 7 years of famine were coming afterwards. It was the famine that brought his family back together and saved the lives of many as it was in God’s plan.

Many of us who have insight reminds me of a passage of a Bible term, “If any man have an ear, let him hear, listen, and take heed what he hears.” It also tells not every one hears, and are a rebellious nature. This gift to hear were gifts from God. It is the Spirit that gives us wisdom and understanding. That wisdom and understanding goes spiritual as well as the action (heed) you take given a warning or a direction of action.

What people do to others who need help or not help is between you and your Maker, but I plan to help those in need as I do now. I pray God will grant me the wisdom to determine good from evil that comes to my door. I keep it in my mind about helping strangers of Matt. 25:40 that says:

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

The needy can also work to be fed, and truly helping them out to locate wild food far from me, the more they won’t need to beg me for it.

But if an evil person plans to rob me of my food, they can take it. I have an iceberg. Only a little of it is seen, most is hidden under water, and not on the premises. Seeing that they think they took all the food I had, they probably won’t be back.

Look at the EBT gang today. Probably 1 in 100 are truly needy. I think there is something in the Bible that states something like “If one will not work, neither let him eat”.

The most common reason an American child goes hungry is because mom sold the food stamps. Does anyone really think this crowd is going to suddenly become virtuous during a crisis? On the contrary, they will become much more devious. Kids will be blatantly used as tear-jerking tools to open doors, with no thought given to dangers the kid will face. Hell, these “people” don’t give a shit about their own kids right now. Beware the child who is “alone”. A sure sign of an impending ambush.

Lauren03/01/2016 3:39 AM

2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

Pencilpusher602/29/2016 9:17 PM

Tell them to read Proverbs 6:6-9. Go to the ant thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, o sluggard? When wilt thous arise out of thy sleep.

The tiny ant prepares for the uncertain future. How much more should we GO to the ant for example. Noah and Joseph(in Egypt) put food back for the future.

There’s also the idea of the shemitah and the jubilee year. During that year the Jews were not allowed to harvest or plant (only what came up on its own), so they HAD to keep a supply of food.

Lauren02/29/2016 5:52 PM

I have never been able to get a rational explanation of the rapture concept–it makes no sense to me. But with that being said, if the Lord does return and take the righteous away there is still a period of ramp-up to the last seven years. It will get VERY bad long before the worst.

People seem to expect that they’ll be taken before they can experience any kind of hardship, but in looking around at the world it’s already happening. I talk to people who are confused because He hasn’t returned yet or expect the Rapture tomorrow because of how bad they perceive it to be right now.

Prepare for what comes between “now” and “worst,” because only the Father knows the time or how bad the ramp-up to the tribulations might be.

Some believers think that a rapture will happen before the tribulation starts. It is not in my Bible, and was started by a preacher, John Nelson Darby who invented the pre-tribulation rapture “doctrine” around 1830.

I believe the Bible in this area, not doctrine, and the only rapture will be at the end of the great tribulation as it is stated. Those who think God will save them should read Lifelonglearner’s post above.

The Bible never uses the word “rapture” anywhere. There are LOTS of references that are used (in a weird, convoluted way) to support the idea of the rapture but it never made sense to me either.

The most obvious is Matthew 24:39-42, but taken in context this refers to the return in glory. Some also use Matthew 24:20-22 to support the idea of the tribulation, without taking into consideration verse 16 “Then let them which are in JUDEA flee”.

There are a lot of places where the “church,” also variously identified as the bride, flee into the wilderness. Revelation 12:5 is an obvious one on this, but in this case the child is caught up (some believe this is the righteous) and the woman flees into the wilderness. Also 14-17 in that same chapter, but again the woman isn’t caught up but flees into the wilderness. Then try Revelation 18:4. “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins.”

In almost every case, the righteous are called out or removed from the situation, not to keep them from tribulation (because the tribulations most often happen before) but so that they won’t participate in the evil and to keep them from absolute destruction. It usually refers to fleeing into the wilderness. It’s all through the old testament as well, and I have never seen any indication that the saints will be removed from the equation entirely. Those who flee always flee into the wilderness, not up to heaven. For discussion of the bride of Christ read Revelation 21 and 22. Here “she” is the city, the New Jerusalem, and is returning, not being taken. Some also argue that this “return” means she has to have been taken at some point. However, with the one exception, (one will be taken and the other left) it is always a voluntary relocation–fleeing, or being called out, not being removed (with the possible exception of the city of Enoch, but we won’t go there).

In the old testament Isaiah is the one most people discuss (usually to complain that they don’t understand it), but for prophecies read Joel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel–most of the prophets from the last 600 years BC. It’s scattered throughout the New Testament as well.

I could go on for days, but that’s enough for a start. Summary, it is going to get very bad before the Lord returns. We don’t know when He will return, and likely those who believe are going to be struggling through evil that has never been seen before. I look forward to His return, but NOT to what is coming between now and then.

@ Lauren
Well this became a very long thread, but I believe you summed it up very well;

āI look forward to His return, but NOT to what is coming between now and then.ā

Again, being Buddhist I also believe in āother destinationsā beyond the one we currently are in.
Reinforcing ones faith is a large part of Prepping also, No?
NRP

Ruthie02/29/2016 3:38 PM

This really is the lynch pin subject.. And you’re right Ken in that its decidedly varied by location & circumstances..

Where you live, what the SHTF IS, WHO is at the door & WHEN after said SHTF is it..

If I’ve managed to get myself out to the boonies in time, and live in a very secluded area, I’d be HIGHLY suspicious of anyone I didn’t know at my door.

Living as I do now, in town, on a major traffic route, people show up here all the damn time..

(Food for thought here peeps!) We have a Large Vibrant flower garden in the front of the house. So much so, it’s a landmark to locals.. So we’ve had people ‘help themselves’ many times to flowers and other decorative things.. The food for thought comes in, that when I’ve had conversations with people passing as I’ve been tending the FLOWER bed.. They’ve made the distinct jump that if I garden flowers, I MUST garden VEGGIES elsewhere..

We have a long narrow ‘city’ lot yard, you cannot see the back yard from the sidewalk.. I DO grow veg, and have many berries too.. It was somewhat disconcerting to have that assumption made by complete strangers..

It was my mother that planted the flower bed. Well, she planned it anyhow, WE planted most of it š LOL

At the time it wouldn’t have occurred to me that advertising ‘garden skills’ might be a OPSEC issue!

Just some food for thought..

Anyhow, this post is supposed to be about what I’d do after the fact.. š

Going by where I am now..
It would HAVE to be a case by case basis. But for the most part, I wouldn’t be able to help anyone that wasn’t ‘family’ (that’s actually a rather large group of relatives and old old friends).

As a fairly new prepper, I just don’t HAVE the resources TO share.

I will HAPPILY share knowledge with ANYONE. That’s just who I am.

I have however been ‘around the block’ a time or four, and my being ultra-nice has bit me in the ass enough times to know better, NOW.

If the growing season has been bountiful, I most certainly would share anything I could with those I could TRUST to not rat me out to the masses (so to speak).

Ruthie
Next time someone “assumes” you have a vegetable garden in the back section of our property. Look them dead in the eye and explain it this way.

“MY mother wanted the flower garden for the lovely colors, and I abide by her wishes to make her happy.”
Leave it at that.

They will get the hint you are ‘not’ a gardener, no veges are grown anywhere on the property. No better way to discourage the noise neighbors and lookie loos.
Just remind anyone else in the household, silence is golden.

Ruthie
Did not wish to sound grumpy on the last post. I know what you are saying, we have a neighbor who has to know EVERY ones business. Then promptly gossips to the other neighbors what is going on in the subdivision.

Gardening lessons I would take any day as I have forgotten more of what my dad taught us than recall. One day of food only goes so far, but knowledge is ever lasting.

It is sad that people are overly inquisitive on your mothers flower bed let alone helping themselves to her/your flowers.

No worries š .. We live in a super ‘liberal’ tree hugging community. 3 houses down has chickens.. Well, HAD, they had an idiotic habit of NOT closing the gate to the back yard…
The numbers of birds slowly dwindled over a few years.. Morons. (( you’d think after the 2d or 3d dog chicken snack they’d SHUT THE GATE.. Nope)) .. Sigh..

Anyway, people here are either very talkie-friendly or won’t even acknowledge your presence. So having people comment on the gardens is very common.
We have a solid 6ft fence on 2 side of the back yard, but the other 2 are 4 ft “friendly” fence for the long time stable neighbor & our driveway access side.
We have a long narrow city lot, so the back isn’t visible from the street, but if anyone walks down the driveway, Ta-Da! Raspberries galore and veggies beyond..
No hope for it.

If the SHTF before I can relocate, I will block the driveway & yard with vehicles & have my SUV backed in, ready to drive away at notice..

I don’t ‘fear’ most the neighbors around here. Tree hugging neo hippy vegetarian/vegan loopyloos..
Nice people.. No guns anywhere.. That’s why I’m FAR more concerned with how much an EASY target my entire town will be to the hordes coming from the 2 crime filled cities 12 & 16 miles away.
I’m setting my ‘stuff’ up gradually to be ‘mobilized’ if necessary. My vehicle can be emptied of work crap in minutes and extra seats pulled out & boxes of gear & preps stuffed in. Then, dogs & fam IN truck & outta dodge. My ex hubby(sons dad) is up the mountain, he’s got guns, a bigger truck & dogs, then 30 miles more straight UP to my aunts.. NOBODY is going to head up that far for weeks.
That’s the best I can do til I can move my household to the boonies.
Goodness! Said a lot there! Lol

It all depends on who comes to the door and my ability to āreadā them to understand what is really happening instead of what is superficially happening. If they are hunting for something to eat, I would quite likely offer to give them some of āinsert – whatever is growing in the garden at the timeā and may even offer to go out and help them pick some and would also most certainly try to determine if they have access to cooking utensils (pots, skillets etc) then respond to their answer accordingly.

I might even offer them a couple cups of dried rice, beans or some oat groats in some zip-lock bags and a little salt so they can take it all somewhere and prepare a nice meal depending on their previous answers and my ability to āreadā them. I have a couple 50# bags of rice I probably will never eat anyway. My take on all of this is if they donāt eat what I eat, or know how to prepare it from scratch like I do, then they are pretty much out of luck.

As far as giving a complete stranger some of my home canned goodsā¦ I donāt think so. Thatās kind of like opening up a wallet full of money on a street corner full of hoboās to give a homeless person $5.00ā¦ very foolish.

Having said this, there are a lot of people I know (and donāt know), who know I have a huge garden in the pasture and inside the yard. Everyone driving by can see them. There is no OPSEC in that regard, never has been and would be impossible to implement. Although I always carry a weapon when Iām out and about and usually have one on me but not visible when I answer the door.

As far as being the āgray manā ? Well, I live in a rural unincorporated area and my home and surroundings are somewhat modest, the only gray I can be is shown in my hair and beard. Iām already a marked man since I give away a lot of fresh food to people that are less fortunate than me and have even offered to let people come over to pick. Iāve done this for years and have no intentions of stopping. Of the many people I have offered to let come over and pick, only two have ever responded.

I used to keep several cases of canned goods from Samās on hand in order to have something to give to people who may come to the door but stopped because no one ever came to the door and it always went out of date and we had to either give it away for food drives or throw it away because it was obviously spoiled. Since the food pantryās donāt take fresh farm picked vegetables and Iāve heard second hand that the food pantryās throw away stuff that is way out of date so I stopped doing that.

Another twist on this is that Iām not going to stock up on something that I donāt eat in order to feed other people since I donāt feel right giving something to someone to eat that I wouldnāt eat and since I donāt eat commercially canned or boxed goods I wonāt buy it for someone else to eat. They either eat what I have to offer or they can go somewhere else.

If someone wants to force their way into my home and take what I have then all I can say is go for it and be careful what you wish for. If that time ever comes I think Iām as prepared as anyone and Iām not going to slink off and hide like a scared rat after SHTF just because there are some bad people lurking about. Just have to take each circumstance as it comes and hope it works out well for everyone.

There was a time I asked a neighbor farmer if I could pull his weeds in his garden when I was short on grocery money, he said he didn’t care, so I helped his wife pull weeds. They were all lambs quarters and I had pulled more than I could use in a years time. Some people don’t know the value of what they have. Lambs quarters were brought here by farmers long ago as a food staple as the most nutritious green available, but now just think they are weeds to cast out.

Too bad you are not my neighbor as you would walk away with a lot more than the weeds!!!! However, my wife does harvest a lot of the Crown Daisy, Sheppardās purse, Amaranth, and Dandelions, all of which grow wild in our pasture.

Hmmmm, aaah, hmmmmmmmm…Since I lost my job and we really spent some time homeless before getting at least a roof over our heads for right now, this article is really tearing me apart.

Now, I know I am starting to work here shortly and getting paid again, which means I have to absolutely replenish our food sources, I have to say one thing: people are not nice. Most are not, the majority are not nice. I am playing here devils advocate and yes, I am emotional about it.

But seeing my kids nearly starve to death while so called nice people where eating in front of us burgers, cookies you name it, and then saying insulting crap like: “Look, your son does not look like a man he is sooo skinny” (aside from the fact that he lost almost 60 pounds of healthy muscle weight during these awful times and my daughter too).

I am not so sure that I want to open up the door to anybody who treated us like the plague while they were flaunting their goodies in front of us and being gleeful of me losing my job.

Soo, nope, I think I have turned into a cold person towards these kind of people because I KNOW, when the time comes (and it is coming) they will come to my door saying: oh, you always had things in your house to eat when you had your job. Frankly my answer is simple, I have nothing to give because you all have a job and I don’t.

PS: Even though I scored my job, I keep my mouth shut and tell everyone there is nothing new on the horizon, still the same, no job, no government benefits, no SNAP, you name it…good excuse for me.

There is no honor, to my mind, in giving to someone at the door, instead of one’s family.

re:
” people where eating in front of us burgers, cookies you name ”

I have found this disgusting habit/attitude in many folks.

When we were young on the farm, we were very poor, but always had food to eat, because, well, my parents farmed/prepped/root cellar/canned/etc etc..

However, we/I most certainly understood/knew that we would most definitely NOT eat in front of anyone. If someone was “at our house”, they shared what we shared. I can still recall as a child being at a few different houses and they would eat in front of me, without so much as offering me a crust of bread.

And, as an adult, I have honestly had it happen, that I have been at a home, where they ate in front of me, without offering me so much as a glass of water. This was a situation where I was not supposed to arrive at the home until after lunch, but for their convenience they asked me to come immediately at about ten thirty a.m.. Of course I had not had lunch, yet they unloaded groceries and ate, in front of me, without offering any to me. Now I am “so obviously not starving”, but folks eating in front of you, when it is lunch time, was rude…

There are a few times I have stopped off at a corner store type thing for a take out coffee/chips, and come outside to find someone who looked hungry, and gave it to them, saying “you look like you could use this more than me”.

Seriously,
I have that in my house too. If we don’t have enough to share, then we don’t eat in front of others, because it is very rude. I believe in karma though, what goes up must come down, what goes around comes back around…and Mother Nature is efficient in many ways. Will I take a newborn at my door, you bet, it will need love, nurture and nourishment and a chance on life. But entitled people full of themselves, nope.

I’m with you on that Texas. I could not allow an innocent infant to die because of stupid parents. I also whole heartedly believe in Karma. It can be your best friend or your worst enemy. I have seen it in action many, many times.

Even say, if someone in the house is sick and having something “special”, and someone pops in, it is put aside until they are gone, if there is not enough to offer (although usually there would be).

I remember incidents as a child, and a young adult, when I was in that situation (sometimes as a young adult short on food), and I seriously could not do it to someone else. I suspect it is those times when I did not have enough which drives my interest…

what I recall flabbergasts me the most (and back then), is I recall a number of times when I was short on food, and shared what I have, but if I ended up at their “place”, would not be offered to share “what they had”. I actually recall some eating in front of me. Besides being hungry, I do recall how stunned I was…

@ Texas
You have that right, people areā¦. Well I have a few words that will get me banned again. So let me put it this way. OPSEC. Nobody should, would, could know what you are doing as far as preps.

The people you know (friends, family, neighbors, etc.) will be your worst nightmare, period. I stress this all the time, if just one person that is in need knows you have, than they WILL KILL YOU for what you have, would you not WTSHTF and they know you haveā¦.

Sure I am a giving person, and yes I donate all the time anonymously. It is nobodyās business how and what I do, end of discussion, especially preps.
Just my thinking.
NRP

PS; Texas,your one of the good people, you made it, good for you my friend, good for you.

Thanks my friend…I do have a soul and life is precious to me. And yes, even though I am Eastern Orthodox (from the big bad bear country), I believe in the more spiritual side of life. Do I know about religions, yep, I have at least a half a dozen ordained priests in my family (my nephews). It gives lot of times a lively debate.

It is not that I flaunted my preps, I never let others enter the area in my house which they were placed at, but the fridge was always full.

I am just very disheartened to see so many out there acting like that, and it has been kind of hard not to not judge a book by its cover.

At least I know my kin never spoke of my work and our income after a very long discussion and explanation to them as to why not. They understood, and I give God a thank you, that I have them and can call them my kids. They are not perfect, have their quirks, but I would never trade them in for others (no pun and insult intended here). We made it one way or another, and sometimes, I wonder how….and I hope we have what it takes to make it even further (I should have no doubt about it though-looks like we ended up being a hardy bunch lol).

To Ken, you have the best site anywhere! I was a lurker first, but then felt comfortable enough to post š
To everyone, thank you as well, I learn much too, just by reading!

Thanks, Texas, I am proud that our site is such that lurkers should not be afraid to post (because we do not tolerate ‘attacking trolls’ here). The more who input, the more interesting and potentially helpful it is for everyone.

@ Texas
āI believe in the more spiritual side of life. Do I know about religions, yep,ā sounds a lot like myself.

I find it interesting at times when I get around people that clam to be very religious, that they seem to lack the spiritual side of the equation. How can some people be so tied up in their religious beliefs and Church yet know nothing of the true nature of being spiritual? Sure they clam to pray to God, and use Jesus for their, I hate to say it, but use Jesus for their crutch in life. Yet those same Church goers are the first to flip you off as they pull out of the Church Parking-Lot (Metaphor).

Basically I guess its āorganized religionā, the money hungry, corrupt, pedophile, back-stabbers that get my goat. I walked away from the āorganizationsā, even most of the Buddhist Temples, many many years ago, and have never had the feeling of being a ālost sheepā. People ask me where I āgo to Churchā; I just point to my back deck, where I do meditate, and tell them, āOutside is my Templeā.

Like you I do get into some lively debates on the subject, civilized debates mostly, and usually wait till the other calms down to say my piece. Then I always get a āwell Iāll pray for your soul, because youāre going to hell for sureā, thatās when you know the discussion is finished HAHAHA.

I will add, āgood for you Texas, youāre a strong Lady for making it on your own with children, Good for youā. This really shows why we actually prep.
NRP

Organized anything like churches gives me the jeebes….I have seen women gossiping in the pews and I made a beeline to the exit. My personal experience ( and please everyone, this is just me, NO insult meant out there )I asked the religious teacher in fifth grade if Adam and Eve were the first people, and they had kids, who did the kids married. Needles to say, I got banned from class. Considering you all can figure out that my A & E question and offspring getting married was going into the direction of incest. I was told that they the offspring married others from another tribe, my answer to that was: well, that means that A&E could not be the first people then. No more religious classes for me and dad got the call to pick me up from the principals office…sigh….having logic sometimes was detrimental to me :).
On a lighter note, there is a universe out there…

NRP03/01/2016 1:06 PM

@ Texas
Ahhhh not to worry, I got kicked out of Sunday School, twice š Hunting and fishing was a LOT more fun anyways š
NRP

Texas03/01/2016 3:25 PM

Heheee, thats fun, but no fishing in the city…I hid in the library reading books…At least, in the R-Orthodox religion, we say there were tribes, and not A&E….kind of like that logic more…still, the Zen is what I follow. My family does not like it, but it works for us a lot more then them.
And my nephews, well, they try. At least they are not upset having a different opinion.
PS: last weekend the kids and I were discussing if black holes are entry/exit to a universe/s….if so, we will just try to catch a ride when Earth is no longer friendly…or, we send the bad guys with a one way ticket there :))
Glad to see I am not the only one kicked out of class š

NRP03/01/2016 5:46 PM

@ Texas
ālast weekend the kids and I were discussing if black holes are entry/exit to a universe/sā¦.ā

Most theorists believe the answer to that is āyesā, thinking that a āblack holeā is a tunnel or passageway to the same or at times to another Universe. Take a look at String Theory or now called and updated to āMā theory, itās very interesting stuff, and is what makes Einsteinās theory of Special Relativity and Quantum Mechanics work. What will drive you nuts is the Idea of 11 dimensions not just 4 that we recognize (up-down, front-back, side-side and time).
NRP

Texas03/01/2016 8:23 PM

Well NRP, that would be awesome…now if my little brain can wrap itself around the concept of infinity in the current universe, than I will be happy with myself and of course experiencing all the dimensions…the wonders out there, not thinking about corruption, pollution, people, prepping,…sigh….ah, back to my 2-dimensional world…

Lauren03/01/2016 7:03 PM

I intend to build a spaceship to take me to Andromeda. I figure that will be far enough away to escape the fallout. š

Texas03/01/2016 8:20 PM

Lol, Lauren, you made my day….I will have my stash of all the preps, chocolate, single malt, some delicious Tokay, Pringles…you name it…and all the libraries in the world…wait, I need to take my 4×4 too…got to take it for a spin out there…coming along…Andromeda, here we come lol.

Lauren03/01/2016 11:31 PM

I was thinking of borrowing and converting a 747. You think there would be enough room? š

Lauren03/01/2016 11:36 PM

If we can find a wormhole going in the right direction…

Texas03/02/2016 1:16 PM

Lol, we can take Trumps jet, both AF1s eh, enough room for all of us here on the board….

Lauren03/02/2016 2:07 PM

Oh, yes. We can bribe NRP to get us the planes and get Ken to find us a wormhole.

And I’ve decided I’m calling Trump Thumper from now on.

NRP03/02/2016 2:47 PM

@ Lauren & Texas
Wont need a Bribe, I worked for an Airline for 5 years, Jets/Airplanes are easy to “borrow”.
NRP

Stardust02/29/2016 6:57 PM

Well Dear NRP, no one would know your OSPEC if you don’t give out your picture, full name, telephone number, and address….

Only my daughter and brother know I prepare but they think I have only a month’s worth of food. I wouldn’t dare reveal myself and OSPEC (which most is hidden) to the public because I am a blonde bombshell and the calls to ask me out would be very annoying… š

@ Stardust
āI am a blonde bombshell and the calls to ask me out would be very annoyingā¦ ?ā hehehe, Well I can understand that, Iām a 62 year old mean grumpy fart borderline hermit, and I have to disconnect the phone because of all the requestā¦ LOLOL
But you are exactly correct, no one knows, except for a chosen few, of what I do as far as preps, even where I purchase locally get the ānone of your businessā look as I buy stuff.
Much better off that way, those that know what you have will take it WTSHTF.
NRP

Well, if someone is either too lazy or stupid or feels too “entitled ” to prep for their own good then I will let Mother Nature improve the gene pool naturally by starvation. I think this “hand out” mentality has gone too far and it is time to improve our nation by making people stand on their own two feet. More than 50% of Americans do not even pay ANY taxes but feed off the system.
Ok, I am done. Have a good day all.

@No Joke
Speaking of taxes, I heard a good one the other day.
If when filing your taxes, and you are expecting to get back more than you paid in. Then you’re not getting your tax refund, you’re getting “my” tax refund.

No Joke, I am one of those who have not paid taxes in the last two years because I have no income, but I am also not on the government dole. The crux of things is, that I paid into the system for a very long time, and have not gotten anything in return, yet when I went to apply, I was treated like undeserving of help.

Did I open my mouth and asked the state employee why not and what would qualify me, her answer was more or less you ought to have nothing and then you can have something. When I asked her why not help me to prevent going beyond the deep end and totally bottom out, she said that this is not how it works.

Needless to say, my skin color and not speaking the “real” language in my corner in the Southwest, does not help. I don’t want welfare, I want to work. I had the same issue as people saying I should just get a min wage job, guess what, when you used to make lots of money, no one will hire you because they know when you get your chance to make again a salary as you used too, you will leave the company.

I was flat out told that I am overqualified, regardless that you can see on my resume that I worked my way up from the bottom. The matter is that people who have worked and earned their keep are the least likely to get help, and we are the same people who also don’t pay taxes because guess what, there is no income to pay taxes from.

Does that make me now a handout seeking person, a free ride seeking one because I don’t pay taxes because I don’t have a job? Just food for thought…… I see both sides of the 49 percent not paying taxes…many did not ask for these circumstances, and yet, many more are very happy because they never really cared about moving up in life and not spend their rest of their lives at the bottom. I prefer to move up. Having a paycheck I earned honestly is for me less control of Uncle Sam dictating my life.

@ Texas
Itās interesting that you bring up not owning anything. Hence the āTrustā, I actually own absolutely nothing, technically not even the dirty underwear I have HAHAHA, the Trust owns everything. Hence, I could, if needed, walk right into a Welfare Office and start getting all those tens of thousands the 49 percenters get. Probably will not do that, but something to think about; also, get a dark suntan and learn Spanish.
NRP

when they speak Spanish to me, I answer in my native language…I get a very quick response in perfect English…gives me the giggles every time.
Many times I have been asked why since I am naturalized am against illegals…simple, I went by the law, paid thousands in fees every time they lost my paperwork, starting all over again…not to forget that I like many of us here, spent enough in federal and state taxes to equal freebies for a year for an entire family perpetually on the dole…usually when I say that to some, they keep their mouth shut…feeling insulted.

My way of being prepared for the unprepared is knowledge–showing them what weeds are edible, helping them plant gardens, etc. I figure if they’re not hungry enough to take what I offer (and at least try to help themselves) then they’re not hungry enough to need my help.

I used to do this with panhandlers. I carried fruit, and if they accepted the fruit they were honestly hungry and I was willing to help them in other ways. The vast majority rejected it. Unsurprisingly, those few who accepted were seldom there when I passed the next time.

I have been considering this topic a lot lately. We grow a large garden & are frequently giving to those that had a crop failure, move too late to plant etc.

If times get really hard I am contemplating 2 options. 1. Giving to our church & helping start a soup kitchen & 2. since we have a lot of healthy weeds have a pot of them simmering & serving weed soup…nettles, dandelion, lambs quarters etc.

Come fall there are a lot of wild high bush cranberries growing & if I added just a tad of sugar if I had any & then directed them where to pick most probably they would not return but if they did I might help more. We have a large swamp nearby & I could give instructions on how to use the cattails depending on the season.

DH is 80 & I am 74 so gardening is harder to do so I can’t guarantee we will always have an abundance as we do now. If it gets bad enough we might not even have a pension check to buy food with. Right now we have a new pastor, & he & his wife have been raised & always live in apt. Our manse has a garden space so they will be learning to garden this year & are so excited about that. We & others will be helping them with that process. It is so exciting to see their enthusiasm while others we know won’t even use free garden produce if it isn’t washed for them. How sad.

Seeing most people plant their gardens in clear, wide open, obvious places near their homes, my most productive garden is hidden in the woods, behind limb piles, set among the brush along the trees and in them, depending on the food I plant that tolerate part sun or love it. I checked some gardening sites on a “woods garden” which are not really in the woods, but none are like mine and thieves could not steal my bounty at night, being unseen, blending into the surroundings of weeds, brush, trees and ferns.

Get some nice mannequins, dress them up and make them look like nice dead people. Tuck a dead chicken, dog, or cat, into them, in order to get the proper smell. Then place and pose them in interesting places, making your property look like its the LAST place anyone would care to explore.

You know, scatter rubbish about with the bodies, which look like ransacked food containers..and stuff. Empty, ripped up, fought over..nothing left. Glass broken, body hanging half way out of a window, an empty trash bag clutched in its hand..blowing about in the breeze. Open front door, body lying over the threshold, face down..boots still just outside the house. Get creative.

This is such a tough topic. I know the dangers of a handout thus I think I would have to offer a handup. The opportunity to learn how to cook/eat/forage locally or barter/trade…I don’t want to jeopardize the safety or well being of my kids.

Plus, let us all remember, that so many people are on meds and many will become emotionally unstable. This will make it quite challenging to predict anyone’s behavior.

I HAVE THOUGHT OF THIS FOR AWHILE. I HAVE NEIGHBORS ON BOTH SIDES OF ME. (TOWNHOUSE) I WOULD LIKE TO BE ON GOOD TERMS WITH THEM FOR SECURITY REASONS. SO IF I AM GOING TO GIVE ANYTHING AWAY; IT WILL BE TO THEM FIRST. AND OF COURSE THEY WILL GET MY OLD STUFF! I WOULDN’T MIND SHARING A MEAL EACH DAY. THEY KNOW I HAVE EXTRA WATER. BUT THEY CAN GO TO THE COMMUNITY POOL UNTIL IT IS DRAINED (PHOENIX!)

I PREP FOR MYSELF AND MY FAMILY. I CANNOT SAVE THE WORLD. MY HEART HAS NEVER BEEN COLD. I HELP THE BUM ON THE CORNER WHEN I CAN. (LOTS OF BUMS IN PHOENIX CAUSE OF THE WEATHER). BUT…I MUST SAY. THE HEARTS OF MANY OF OUR COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN ARE FULL OF EVIL. LOOK AT ALL THIS TALK OF ASSASSINATING TRUMP. IMAGINE SUCH TALK IF IT WAS ABOUT OBAMA???!!! AND THEY FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT TRUMP SUPPORTERS WHO OFTEN TIMES ARE PREPPERS. THEY THINK WE ARE NOT ENTITLED TO WHAT WE HAVE. SO THEY WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM CUTTING OUR THROATS TO TAKE IT.

GOTTA KEEP THIS ATTITUDE IN MIND BECAUSE IT IS SO WIDESPREAD. SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES. A PRICE HAS TO BE PAID FOR THE EVILS OF AMERICA. WE WILL ALL PAY IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

Reading a lot of “when” as opposed to “if”, relax folks most people will not leave there neighborhood let alone flee a city and wander down county roads and the like. If something does happen people will do what the powers that be tell them to do.

How many preppers do you think went through Katrina or to a lesser extent Sandy? How about civil unrest in cities across the US last summer? What did people do… nothing, people have normalcy bias and will not do anything. They will punch the clock on Monday or whatever unless someone says not to.

It is good to be prepared and to keep a little extra for a neighbor or whatever but seriously… enough of the Walking Dead/Mad Max stuff people, lol, it is going to be okay… until it is not… see what I did there,lol, take care everyone!

Boy Ken , that is a gut wrenching topic , but one that needs discussing and ideas put forward . My wife & I discuss this scenario often. We look at it as mental prepping for a very tough situation. We live a few miles out side a small town on a one way road at the end of the pavement so our issue would be with neighbors. We make sure we deliver Christmas cookies and any extra veggies we have after harvest to neighbors. We do not think we would see strangers at our door.

We live the gray man scenario, under the radar as much as possible. If we would disperse food and other essentials we would hope to do it through our church. We keep several boxes of zip lock bags to put rice, beans, salt, dried spuds, etc. into for gifting. We would not gift any food from our home except to nearby friendly neighbors that we were very comfortable with.

When the hammer drops many people will turn very ugly very quickly. It will not be a pleasant time. It is important IMO to have discussions and plans to deal with the scenario.

If someone comes knocking on our door, they would have had to jump the fence or the livestock gate. If they came to the front door via the front fence or livestock gate, they would have noticed the “No Trespassing” sign….

If a neighbor wanted to reach out to us, it would be via the phone or in person, as they usually do. Most times, we see/visit the neighbor out at the pasture area and we chat across the fence line. A small private lane runs the length of one side of our property and there are 2 families that have settled back in there (the parents and the grown-up kids).

We would willingly provide some small rations to those families. They are all a tight-knit group (family = clan) and giving to 1 would mean giving to others back there. They could be our defense in the back, or the enemy-upon-us, depending upon our behavior if they were truly desperate. We’ve been here too many years to turn on them at this point, so we would help.

The parents garden. All have property. All have good work ethics. Some have tractors and other heavy equipment. If planned well, they could become an important part of a hardened community. So we’ve planned somewhat for this.

The neighbors across the road are all transplants from the citified ‘burbs. None of us know them at all — they are not involved w/the community and have chosen to remain somewhat anonymous here. That’s their choice, but with that comes the distrust. Trust is earned….these transplants haven’t earned anything by living here.

They could be hostile from the get-go, they have no roots here and no obvious preparedness base, only horses on the 5-acre plots that serve as lawn ornaments. So for them there would be some packs of seeds for each of those 5 family units and some staple foods. I have small empty seed envelopes all ready just in case some neighbors want to grow a garden. I have ample seeds to share and have no problem with that. Also, I have already packaged 3 cases of glass jars of beans and rice for them, if need be.

If another couple of years goes by and those jars are still here, we’ll use them and re-fill the jars w/ fresher foods, repeating it all. With all of that said, this is where the food-giveaways would end. OPSEC means no one knows about or sees home-canned jars, DH or FD foods.

If anyone else comes a ‘knockin’ or inquiring, we will choose to not engage unless necessary. We have the possibility of most of the family winding up here and that would mean the household of 2 would become the household of 10. We have planned only so much to give-away and it would be reserved for those neighbors I mentioned previously. I pray that it never gets this bad.

About the same thoughts as i have on my neighborhood, most of my direct neighbors would be real helpful towards a defensive group, and they all have deep roots here, them i will do anything i can for, we are blessed with year round growing and almost everyone in the neighborhood has a garden or livestock, we also in our little piece of paradise produce less than 20% of the food consumed here, so if or when things go sideways there will be a lot of people without, we also have a large population on the government hand out, largest per capita of any state i believe per recent stats. That will be a problem,
God save us is all i can say, because my preps go way beyond just food stuff and my defensive measures wont be pretty.

DON’T ANSWER THE DOOR! If you open the door – thinking that you will say nothing important – those outside will see that you are clean, clean-shaven, wearing clean clothes, and look to be well-fed. You have what they need – they can see that without you even speaking. Now, you begin to talk. If you speak with a foreign accent, that tells them even more about you. If your family stands in the background and they notice this, they know even more about you. Finally, you probably think that you can argue them away from your door, or that you can give them one box of food, on the agreement with them that you will not give them any more if they return – they will not keep such an agreement because there is no other place for them to get food. DON’T ANSWER THE DOOR! Shoot through it, if you must.

Biggest problem I see with the article is the simple fact of advising people to answer their door – DON”T – just asking to confront desperate people that have lived a birth to death gooberment hand to mouth existence – these people WON”T be taking a simple NO!!!! as an answer …. if the conditions allow – you’ll be out & about checking out the local situation – pick & choose the relatives, friends and neighbors to converse ….

Two things that scare the heck out of people. One; an old fat fart 99% naked guy standing there in only his shorts and boots, and Two; a Crazy person with a Firearm strapped to his side while holding a HUGE machete talking Zombies and Spaceships.
Put those two together as one opens a door and all youāll see is their backside running like heck.

I talked with someone once, who sailed alone, in some dodgy places. I asked him if he ever found himself in dodgy situations.

He said yes, and a couple of times crooks (not sure whether to call them crooks/pirates whatnot), would threaten to board him, and he would start acting crazy, threating to burn them/their boat etc. He reported the “crazy” bit worked.

These days, it is zombies..

I mean, if you have a hatchet, gun etc, and claim you think those at door look like zombies, etc.

Might want to throw some ketchup on yourself/face before you answer the door, and lick your lips and talk about how tasty zombies are..

(Remarkably, it is widely reported that most of the unprepared do not have much more than 3 days of food for everyone in the household (I still marvel at this).

I have a handyman / home repair business, I work for a guy (no nice way to say it āSlum-Lord) Heās a nice guy itās just he rents to almost all Section-8ā people. Iām in these homes repairing the damage they do (and Section-8 People of a given color really destroy homes) to these homes. (Look on U-Tube for Section-8 to see what they do to homes.)

I can attest to the fact that they have very little food in the homes. Almost always the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator have at most 2-days of food. But they ALWAYS have a 50-inch (rent-to-own) TV and a Playstation or X-Box and a few of the latest I-Phones.

I would say 90+% of these Section-8 people live like this.

As far as handing out food to people that come asking, I would not do it. It would be better to direct them to a local church or government distribution point.

During the 1930ās depression the Hobos that rode the rails made signs for other hobos to read telling them about homes and if there was food, a mean dog a place to sleep. I would have to thing your kind actions would cause the same thing.

We all donāt want people to starve or suffer, but there is a limit to what we can give and people will want (to the point of demanding and getting violent) all you have. If you give them food and then cut it off at some point they will not believe you ran out or have no more to give. Tahe a guess how this is going to goā¦

When everyone is hunting the fox, itās better to be dressed like a hound.

Meaning itās in your best interest to look just as helpless as those around you and even go looking for food or at least to look like you are looking for food. I would not want to do it to the point you end up at a FEMA camp, involved in a riot (riots NEVER end well for those rioting) or at a food distribution point where you would have to give up your guns or other supplies. Maybe being on the fringe of these places is enough to act the part of being food-less.

Never answer the door. Problem solved. If you don’t acknowledge them, they will move on. But, if you do acknowledge them, they know you are home and may be ready for confrontation.

But, if you do answer the door, do it from a window close by, not the actual door. It may prevent a “kick-in”. A couple of lag bolts and a metal bar may also prevent a “kick-in”. When you answer the door itself, you put yourself on an even level, which, in my opinion, is a weak stance. Answering from a window, puts the other person(s) on the weaker level. It would be even better if that window were on the second floor.

During the last trick or treat event in Phoenix, I tried a new idea out, put up yellow bio hazard tape across windows and doors with some bio-hazard orange trash cans sitting outside. in a couple of places some fake plastic puke on the sidewalk and in the cans with a couple of other props ..we then notified the families on the block so they ‘knew the story’ and the kids were very impressed, the non-locals (who bus in groups)would walk up take one one look and steer clear to other houses. There is no doubt in a major event most people would not doubt the bio-hazard tape and fake blood and puke and be in a hurry to move on.